Annual Report of Accomplishments and Outcomes, July 2012 – June 2013
New Mexico Department of Health, Epidemiology and Response Division
New Mexico Occupational Health Surveillance Program
Michael Landen, MD, MPH – Principal Investigator. 1190 St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, NM
87502. Telephone: (505) 476-3575, Fax: (505) 827-2530 Email: Michael.Landen@state.nm.us
Stephanie Moraga-McHaley, MS - Epidemiologist. Telephone: (505) 841-5894, Fax (505) 841-
5895, Email: Stephanie.moraga-mc@state.nm.us
Program type: Fundamental Surveillance
Major Outputs and Products
Database and Data
Use Agreements
Evaluation
Investigations Outreach
Products
Publications and
Presentations
Databases and Data Use Agreements
EHEB Notifiable Conditions Database (pilot phase)
The Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau (EHEB) database will help organize all of the reported occupational and environmental health notifiable conditions cases for the state of New
Mexico. It will allow for the assessment of work related illnesses and injuries by location and industry, as well as by other demographics such as age or gender. An intern was hired in June
2013 to pilot the database and work with the IT developer.
New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center , signed December 12, 2012
For work-related incidence reports and environmental pesticide incidence reports
Workers’ Compensation Administration , signed March 26, 2013
For data linkage between Workers Compensation Claims data and NM Hospital Inpatient
Discharge Data
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, signed April 15, 2013
Letter of agreement to access the Census of Fatal Occupational Injury (CFOI) research files for
New Mexico
NM Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, The CDC BRFSS optional module for industry and occupation is being collected in New Mexico for 2013.
Evaluation
New Occupational Health Surveillance Program (OHSP) mission statement
The NMOHSP advisory group developed a new mission statement:
To promote safe and healthy workplaces for all New Mexico by:
•
Evaluating work-related injuries and illnesses
•
Targeting intervention and prevention
•
Raising awareness among workers, employers, health care providers and the public
New OHSP logic model
A logic model was developed for the strategic plan of the NMOHSP. Graph of logic model is available upon request.

Investigations
Four Corners NM, October, 2012
The OHSP assisted the Navajo Epidemiology Center with investigation of farm worker respiratory illnesses that occurred during harvest on farm property leased from the Navajo Nation. The OHSP consulted with NIOSH experts and identified some steps that can be taken to prevent respiratory symptoms in farm workers due to nonspecific organic and inorganic dusts. Recommendations were shared with the Navajo Area Indian Health Service.
Doña Ana County, NM , October 30, 2012
The OHSP epidemiologist collaborated with State OSHA and Air Quality Bureau from the
Environment Department to investigate the release of an unknown substance which resulted in the evacuation of approximately 200 workers at different establishments at an industrial park in
Southern NM. The investigation included an OSHA inspection of a medical sterilization facility.
The substance causing the evacuation remains unidentified.
Outreach
Letter to clinical and pathology laboratories
A letter was mailed to clinical and pathology laboratories providing occupational medicine services in New Mexico informing them of their obligation to report occupational notifiable conditions to the Department of Health. July 2012.
Focus group
The OHSP collaborated with Drs. Denece Kesler and Olivia Hopkins at the University of New
Mexico School of Medicine, to conduct a focus group of health providers and administrators in order to determine their awareness of the OHSP and OHR among health care providers and administrators and to identify potential activities that could improve the collection of reports from clinics and their providers. A summary report will be available upon request. March, 2013.
Indian Affairs Safety, Health, and Wellness Fair
The OHSP exhibited information on occupational illness and injury prevention at the Indian
Affairs Safety, Health, and Wellness Fair held at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs building,
Albuquerque, NM. April 10, 2013.
Annual Workers' Compensation Association of New Mexico Conference
The OHSP exhibited information on Occupational Health Notifiable Conditions Reporting alongside our sister State agency, NM Workers’ Compensation Administration. May 17, 2013.
Publications and Presentations
Moraga-McHaley SA, Landen M, Krapfl H, Sewell CM. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis with
Mycobacterium avium complex among spa workers . Int J Occup Environ Health. 2013 Jan-
Mar;19(1):55-61.
Hudson NL, Kasner EJ, Beckman J, Mehler L, Schwartz A, Higgins S, Bonnar-Prado J, Lackovic
M, Mulay P, Mitchell Y, Larios L, Walker R, Waltz J, Moraga-McHaley S, Roisman R, Calvert
GM. Characteristics and magnitude of acute pesticide-related illnesses and injuries associated with pyrethrin and pyrethroid exposures-11 states, 2000-2008 . Am J Ind Med. 2013 Jun 20.
New Mexico Public Health Association and University of New Mexico National Health
Disparities 2013 Joint Conference
Got Milk? Here's Why: The health realities of New Mexico's dairy workers . Gail Evans, J.D.,
LLM: Stephanie Moraga-McHaley, MS; Satya P. Rao, PhD; Tess Wilkes, JD. Albuquerque, NM.

April 19, 2013. New Mexico‘s factory dairies are powered by an invisible class of immigrant workers who are susceptible to exploitation on several levels. The panel described the sparse health data and efforts to improve dairy workers’ lives, as well as explain what concerned professionals can do to facilitate change.
New Mexico Chapter American Society of Safety Engineers
New Mexico Occupational Surveillance Program Update given at the monthly meeting of the NM
Chapter American Society of Safety Engineers. Albuquerque, NM. November 8, 2012.
NMDOH Quarterly Epidemiology Meeting
Upper Respiratory Symptoms among Farmworkers in the Four Corners Area, NM given at quarterly meeting. Albuquerque, NM. November 14, 2012.
Products
Educational Materials ( http://nmhealth.org/eheb/occhealth_education.shtml
)
The OHSP developed three educational materials for three different audiences:
•
Lead in Firing Ranges: How to Reduce Your Exposure (web brochure). January, 2013
•
Cleaning Products and Work-Related Asthma (poster, available in English and Spanish)
May, 2013
•
NM Occupational Health Surveillance Program – Occupational Health Registry
Confidential Case Reporting (magnet/notepad) June, 2013
Success Story
•
Submitted draft success story Cleaning should be a breeze, not a wheeze to the Council of
State and Territorial Epidemiologists occupational health subcommittee. March, 2013.
Websites
Occupational Health Surveillance Program ( http://nmhealth.org/eheb/occhealth.shtml
)
•
Posted Adult Lead Exposure Management Guidelines and information. March, 2013.
•
Collaborated with NM Environmental Public Health Tracking to post information on
Wildfire Season and Worker Safety. June, 2013.
What’s New ( http://nmhealth.org/eheb/ehebconcerns.shtml
)
The OHSP contributed topics with information and links for the EHEB What’s New webpage:
•
National Farm and Safety Week. September, 2012
•
Health Concerns about Misuse of Pesticides for Bed Bug Control. December, 2012.
•
New Clinicians webpage provides resource for healthcare providers. February, 2013.
•
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Occupational Respiratory Disease from Exposures Caused by
Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and Other Nonindustrial Buildings . May, 2013.
•
North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. May, 2013.
Outcomes
Potential outcomes The focus group with UNM providers revealed that the awareness of the OHSP was low therefore, OHSP is following up with education to providers on the need to consider their patients’ work during visits and the importance of reporting notifiable conditions. Reporting to the
NM Occupational Health Registry in 2013 has increased 13-fold over mid-2012 and new data have begun to reveal industries with recurring illness and injury patterns.
Intermediate outcomes The collaborative investigation of farmworkers in the Four Corners region prompted preventive worker training by the Indian Health Service. The Cleaning Products and
Asthma poster was distributed to several worksites for posting in work areas. The lead in firing ranges brochure was made available to workers and patrons at one range.